Political Apologies

I heard a very interesting lecture on the radio tonight. Entitled "The Meaning and Value of Political Apology," it was an insightful analysis of the reasons for, and the effects and limitations of "political apologies"--when a government apologizes for the nation's past actions, perhaps decades or centuries after the fact.

The text of the lecture is available as a pdf file at the following site. It is fairly brief (8 pages, with lots of white space), and worth reading if you've ever wondered about the value, or even the legitimacy of such apologies.

http://www.ony.unu.edu/middayforum/May%2023%20Apology/Political%20Apology%20Speech%20Handout%20Version.pdf.

The author and speaker was French Jean-Marc Coicaud, a young but experienced diplomat, who has co-written several books on international law and human rights, and who currently heads UNU's New York Office (UNU-NYO).

Photo of Jean-Marc Coicaud unattributed.
Source: http://update.unu.edu/archive/issue34_21.htm

Statesman Abdoulaye Wade

If you read the recent National Geographic article on the Sahel--the transitional region between the Sahara desert and the tropical forests of Africa that stretches across the continent, you know that this strip has been gradually moving south, leaving once-arable lands unproductive.

I was interested to learn today that Senegal's President, Abdoulaye Wade (pronounced Wahd), will be giving the 2008 U Thant lecture at United Nations University (UNU), a Tokyo-based school and think-tank. His topic will be "Climate Change and African-led Initiatives."

According to the UNU website,

President Wade will speak on climate change and Africa, and specifically on how African-led initiatives, such as la Grande Muraille Verte (the Great Green Wall) can contribute to combating desertification. . . [I]n his recent speeches President Wade has highlighted the importance of the sharing of experiences, of collaborative effort, and of innovation to the success of these initiatives.

I can't read French-language newspapers fluently enough to follow daily political developments in Senegal, but more and more, I am learning about President Wade's statesmanship on crucial world issues. At a conference of Islamic nations held in Dakar in April, he stood firm against calls to make Senegal an Islamic republic, and gave a reasoned but urgent plea for respect and cooperation across religious lines, holding up Senegal as a (in my mind, valid) example.

Photo shows President Wade addressing the UN General Assembly, September, 2007. UN Photo/Marco Castro. Source: http://www.unu.edu/ (June 24, 2008)

Quote source: http://www.unu.edu/uthant_lectures/#wade (June 24, 2008)